Boris Nemtsov, a Russian scientist, statesman, and liberal politician who was one of President Vladimir Putin’s biggest critics was killed last week in front of his girlfriend, the Ukrainian model Anna Durytska, according to media reports.
The couple was walking in Moscow when a car pulled up to them on the sidewalk and shot Nemtsov four times in the back before fleeing the scene, according to BBC.
Freshman Diane Dussouchet, a native from Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, and her family are not supporters of Putin’s agenda. She and her family were upset to hear of Nemtsov’s death, and will miss the impact he made in Russia.
“All my friends, my parents and their friends, and myself would say that Nemtsov did a lot of good things in the past,” said Doussacouchet. “He used to be a good politician and a business magnate.”
But emotions over the scientist’s death vary across the country.
“I think the answer to this question will depend on whom you ask,” Dussouchet said. “ It turned out that the majority of the the Russian people are actually supporting Putin and his policies. However, just like I am not his biggest fan, neither are my friends, family, and family friends.”
Conspiracy theories regarding the incident have developed throughout Russia, some even constructed by authorities, according to the New York Times. One report claims Nemtsov may have been killed by political allies in an attempt to make him a martyr.
